Cam Ward allowed five goals on 36 shots in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Ward gave up three goals in the opening period, but the two teams went into the second frame all tied up. Unfortunately for Carolina, they were unable to find the back of the net again. It's the first time in four games that he's given up more than one goal. He has a 26-22-11 record with a 2.67 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage. Apr 4 - 11:27 PM

Cam Ward is likely to start Tuesday's game versus Minnesota.

He was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, so he is slated to play. Ward has 26 wins along with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 59 previous starts this season. Apr 4 - 1:30 PM

Depth Charts

Victor Rask couldn't build off his strong start to the 2016-17 campaign.

Rask had eight goals and 15 points in his first 17 games in 2016-17. "After that I wasn’t playing very well," Rask said. "I don’t know why but I have to do a better job of that." He scored eight goals and 30 points in the other 65 contests. He's still just 24 years old so there's room for him to grow and become a more consistent player. Keep his upside in mind when evaluating him for 2017-18.

Staal reached that mark by registering an assist in the Hurricanes' 4-3 win over Florida on Tuesday. He has 15 goals and 42 points in 64 games this season. This is the third time in the span of four seasons that he's crossed the 40-point mark.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Derek Ryan to a one-year/$1.425 million contract.

Ryan only received $600,000 from the Hurricanes last season so he got a nice raise. The Bill Masterton Memorial Finalist had 11 goals and 29 points in 67 games last season. He should be a 30-35 point center this season.

Hurricanes GM Ron Francis cited Marcus Kruger's leadership as one of the main things the veteran forward brings to the table.

Carolina hasn't had a captain since Eric Staal was dealt in 2016, but the Hurricanes have added some potential leaders this summer in Kruger and Justin Williams. The fact that both of them have plenty of playoff experience is also an asset for a franchise that hasn't been to the postseason since 2009.

While not a big scorer as his four goals and 12 points in 54 games will attest to, Jooris is a nice add as a bottom six forward. "Josh is a versatile player who can play in the middle or on the wing," GM Ron Francis said in a statement. "He’s hard-working and competitive, and gives us more flexibility with our group of forwards." That being said, don't think about taking him in fantasy pools.

Saarela was obtained from the Rangers in the Eric Staal trade last season and played in the SM-Liiga before coming over to North America in March. He had four goals and six points in his first week of play in the AHL, corralling player of the week status. He has not let his foot off the accelerator ever since. "The games I saw him play he was probably our best player," Charlotte teammate Andrej Nestrasil said. "He’s really built well for hockey. He’s really fast, and he’s got an unbelievable shot with an unbelievable release. He can speed up within seconds. The D-man thinks he’s got him, and he just burns him. He’s been really impressive." It looks like the Hurricanes got a good one in Saarela.

The red-hot Hurricane has 37 goals this season and needs a hat trick on Sunday in the season's finale to reach the 40 goal mark. The way Skinner has been scoring of late, nothing is beyond his reach. Skinner missed three games earlier in the season and has 63 points in 78 games. He should be taken in the sixth or seventh round if you play multiple categories next season.

Sebastian Aho scored two goals and 11 points in 10 games for Finland at the World Championships.

The 19-year-old scored 49 points in his rookie season with Carolina, coming off a point-per-game pace in the SM-Liga. Overshadowed by Auston Matthews and Patrick Liane, Aho will be a sophomore capable of inflicting damage on opposing netminders next season.

Joakim Nordstrom scored the only goal in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the San Jose Sharks.

It took a while, but we finally got a goal in this game. Nordstrom broke the scoreless tie at the 10:48 mark of the third period. Viktor Stalberg picked up the assist on Nordstrom's first goal of the year. The 24-year-old has three points in 15 games this season.

McGinn will earn $875,000 in 2017-18 and $900,000 in 2018-19. "Brock took a step forward last season and was a regular presence in our lineup," said GM Ron Francis. "He is a young player who plays a physical, but smart brand of hockey, and can contribute offensively." McGinn registered seven goals and nine assists in 57 matches with the Hurricanes last year.

The new deal will earn him $725,000 at the NHL level or $125,000 if he plays in the AHL. Di Giuseppe tallied one goal and contributed six assists in 36 games for the Hurricanes last season. He also had 12 markers and 28 points in over 40 contests with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers.

Justin Williams is working hard to make sure he doesn't slow down on the ice.

Williams signed a two-year contract with Carolina this offseason, and he knows he'll have to perform at a high level if he wants to get the Hurricanes back to the playoffs. "I think at this point in my career … I'm probably not going to get any faster," Williams said. "I know that. The trick is not to get any slower. I'm doing all I can to make sure that doesn't happen and you don't slowly fade away. I want to be an impact player for a long time and I plan on being one the next couple years as well." The 35-year-old had 24 goals and 24 assists in 80 games with Washington last season.

Teuvo Teravainen has signed a two-year, $5.72 million extension with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Teravainen was eligible to become a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract. He had 15 goals and 42 points in 81 games in 2016-17. "Teuvo is a highly-skilled player and an important part of what we are building here," Hurricanes GM Ron Francis said. "He's still a very young player and we look forward to seeing him take the next step in a Hurricanes uniform."

Julien Gauthier will try to crack Carolina's roster out of training camp, but he may have to start in the minors.

Gauthier was chosen 21st overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and the Hurricanes have high hopes for him. "I think some of it is going to be on the coaching side," GM Ron Francis said, "and just understanding that our systems are probably different than he had been playing in junior, and getting comfortable with that. A lot of the younger guys when they're learning a system, they tend to hesitate. He's got to get to the point where he knows what he's doing. But he has a lot of the things you can't teach, with the size and strength and speed and shot." Gauthier knows he will need to be a 200-foot player and he'll have to play with some physicality, while contributing offensively.

Jaccob Slavin has signed a seven-year, $37.1 million contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes.

That works out to a $5.3 million annual cap hit. He still has a season left on his entry-level deal too, so the Hurricanes now have him locked up for the next eight seasons. This could prove to be a steal of a contract as he only celebrated his 23rd birthday in May and already is a top pairing blueliner. He had five goals and 34 points in 82 games in his sophomore campaign. "Jaccob is one of the cornerstones of our team moving forward, and it was important to secure him with our organization long term," said Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. "We believe he is one of the top young defensemen in the NHL today, and are thrilled that he and his wife, Kylie, have made their home in Raleigh."

Brett Pesce was rewarded with a six-year contract extension this off-season and he wants to keep improving to prove himself worthy of the commitment.

"It's time to get better and work harder and really elevate my game each and every year," Pesce said. "I've got to up my game now." The 22-year-old rearguard wants to get stronger, improve his shot and be more of an offensive factor in his third NHL season. He also wants to get the Hurricanes back in the playoffs. Pesce is excited to keep developing on Carolina's young defense group with Jaccob Slavin, Justin Faulk, Noah Hanifin and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

USA Hockey have announced that Noah Hanifin has been added to the 2017 U.S. Men's National Team for the upcoming World Hockey Championships.

Hanifin finished the season strong with 10 points in his final 17 games played. The former 5th overall pick is still only 20-years-old and he has a bright future ahead of him in the National Hockey League. He will likely be playing top-4 minutes in Carolina next season and might be worth a flier in fantasy leagues.

The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired Trevor van Riemsdyk and a 2018 seventh-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the 62nd overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Vegas claimed van Riemsdyk from Chicago in the expansion draft. He had five goals and 16 points in 58 contests in 2016-17. The Golden Knights got a lot of defensemen in the draft, so it was expected that they'd follow that up with trades like this one. "As a right-handed defenseman, Trevor fills an immediate need in our lineup," said Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. "He has obviously already experienced success in Chicago, and now will be another good, young piece on our blueline."

He amassed 45 points, including 37 assists, in 43 games with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen in 2016-17. Bean was the 13th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He can only play in the NHL or the junior ranks next season.

Scott Darling feels he is ready to be a number one goaltender and is prepared to lead Carolina to success in the playoffs.

"I'm excited for the challenge," Darling said. "It's kind of what I've been hoping for my whole career, to have this opportunity." The Hurricanes believe they have a roster that can make it to the postseason and Darling should play a big part in that if it happens. He signed a four-year, 16.6 million contract with Carolina and it's expected that he will be the team's top netminder in 2017-18.